The former leader of the NAACP Ben Jealous will offer his endorsement of Democratic Party presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders on Friday. The endorsement will be announced at an event in New Hampshire, where Sanders and his top rival, former First Lady Hillary Clinton, are campaigning.
Reports The Washington Post:
The backing of Jealous, 43, who was the youngest leader of the civil-rights organization, provides a potential boost for the Vermont senator, who has struggled to connect with African American voters in his race against Hillary Clinton.
African Americans will be a key constituency in the Democratic contest once it moves beyond New Hampshire, which is predominantly white, much like Iowa, where Clinton narrowly prevailed Monday in the first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Though Sanders has a long history of civil-rights activism, he began his presidential bid largely unknown among black voters. About 95 percent of Vermont’s population is white.
It remains to be seen if the endorsement of Jealous will loop in a fair share of the African-American vote. While Sanders tows a more populist line than Clinton and certainly has vigorous aims in his quest for the presidency, the familiarity of the former First Lady and her husband’s lasting influence still rings strong in the race.
SOURCE: Washington Post | VIDEO CREDIT: Inform | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
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Former Head Of NAACP Ben Jealous To Endorse Bernie Sanders was originally published on newsone.com
